Ruh Roh!

Hello and happy Friday to all of you loyal readers!

 

I am writing to let you know that things have come to a screeching halt here at Paisley Press because I am down to one (sore!) hand and one useful finger on the other hand.

 

I was in a car accident yesterday and while both my hands are sore, my right hand (my dominant hand) is mangled: jammed, swollen, either badly sprained or broken (still awaiting x-ray results). The rest of my body is a little worse for wear, too, some burns and bruises. But I am whole and that's what really matters...so thankful.

 

My car? Not so much. Poor baby has seen it's last mile.

 

And my creating? Temporarily halted until healing has occurred. So...this may be a picture heavy blog for awhile.

 

I haven't forgotten that today is drawing day and I'm getting that done. I'll repost tonight with the winners. I think you might  know who you are!

 

Be back soon.

 

~ M ~

Going Forward

From Pinterest

Did anybody show up Tuesday? I apologize for not being here...just a few last minute changes that couldn't be completed in time. But now I'm back on the interwebs, managing my little digital corner of the world.

So...Paisley Press. It's different, huh? I feel so good about the direction; I hope you feel the same.

While I was gone, I didn't get nearly as much done as I hoped to. I did a lot of thinking...about this blog and my life and my bank account. It's all important stuff. Here's a bit of what I thought...

I'm interested in home and family and small spaces and lots of light and easy maintenance and happy colors. I want my house home to feel comfortable and welcoming and happy from the moment people walk in the door. I want shoes off and feet up and blankets and pillows and naps and fun and comfortable. I'd LOVE a kitchen like the aspirational one in the picture above. I want people to visit and never want to leave.  

I, like almost everyone I know, am on a budget. I, like everyone else I know, need to earn an income. So I'm going to try to decorate my farmhouse by helping others decorate theirs. That's just a complicated way of saying I'm going to start focusing more on home goods in this blog and in my etsy store. I'm going to create things that I'd like to live with and offer them for sale to others who might want to enjoy them, too. 

 

To me, farmhouse decorating isn't just one look; there are fancy farmhouses, rustic farmhouses, modern farmhouses, romantic farmhouses, and patriotic farmhouses. I think there are a few things all farmhouses, however, have in common: wood furniture and floors (both natural and painted), comfortable accessories, a lack of shiny surfaces, and great spaces to gather.

I'm just starting out with a few products: pillows, kitchen stuff, signs, and monograms. Wait...what? I didn't mention the monograms? They don't seem 'farmhouse' to you? Well I'm here to convert the world - a monogram for every farmhouse! Or at least a few napkins, table runners, and pillows.

 

So that's where we're headed: less paper, more pillows; less glue stick more gingham; less there, more here...

 

Home Sweet Home

Glad to be back.

 

~ M ~

P.S.  More to come - the etsy store and giveaways on Monday!

Hang On!

Hello? Are you there?

 

Oh wait - I bet that 's what YOU'RE asking!

 

Yes, I'm here. Working on a few things, still, before the reveal (notice anything different?). I hope you can all hang in a few hours (days?) more. And I hope you'll like the new look.

 

To make up for my tardiness, I'm going to have an extra giveaway or two - more good stuff to go around.

 

See you soon!

 

~ M ~

Times They Are a-Changin'

Hello friends! 

It's been a few days since I've been here and boy, have I been busy! I've been working on so many projects and new techniques. I've learned a lot and I've been thinking about making some changes around here.

Here are a few peeks at what I've been working on:

 

 

 

Now it's time to make some changes here. I'll be off for a week but I'll be back next Tuesday with a new look and some other fun changes here at Paisley Press Global Headquarters.

 

Have a great week and please don't forget to come back in a week - Tuesday, August 18th - for a new look, fun changes and, oh yeah...my first official giveaway!

~ M ~

Vinyl'd Cutting Board - Version 1

Hello Friends!

 

Oh my heavens, what a crafting day it's been. Quite frustrating, actually, but that's the way the creative life is. It all started out so well...and then it took a turn.

I wanted to decorate some small cutting boards. I knew I wanted a doily-like pattern so I logged into the Silhouette store and found two designs I liked pretty quickly - one for a round cutting board and one for a square.

I downloaded my selected designs, resized them for my projects and cut them on the Silhouette. After they were cut, I weeded out the vinyl that was not part of the design and transferred the designs to transfer tape.

I applied the first design (the black one) to the cutting board and it was completely off center. And here's the thing about this vinyl...it's pretty unforgiving. Once stuck, you can pull it up again if you want to. But it's not pretty. I didn't even want to take a picture!

With hopes high, I tried to use a different method of application for the second (red) one. And it? Was a tiny bit more successful. But not enough to make it, you know, good. It was folded on itself and bumpy and...a fail!

So I struck out on both projects today...like I said, frustrating. But I'm not giving up. It's the nature of the creative beast.

 

This may not ever be my favorite medium but I'm determined to figure out a way to make it work. I'm not going to let this vinyl get the better of me! 

 

~ M ~

Rustic Chic Canister Labels

Hello Friends!

Do you remember this label, from here? It was the first of my new canister labels, and here is the second of two (so far). I'll be making more - for pasta, rice, beans, brown sugar, etc.

I'd labeled these canisters before; I painted a chalkboard square on each of them, but I found that it was difficult to write on smaller containers with chalk and the chalk rubbed off easily. A change was needed...

I know I'm becoming really repetitious but here it is again - I made these labels from printable vinyl and cut them on the Silhouette. They're great for kitchen jars; they're water resistant so they can be hand-washed without damaging the labels.

I wanted a rustic look so I chose a distressed and vintage (looking) font and a chalkboard background, as well. The shape is even a little irregular - all small details that add to the desired imperfect look of the finished product. Just what I had in mind!

 

Every day I find new ways to use my Silhouette Cameo and for so many different projects: home design, cards, gifts, organization, office products. It's kind of amazing, especially because it's so easy for a home crafter to use.

 

One of the best things about being creative now is the abundance of information about whatever your creative pursuit might be. There are so many YouTube videos, Facebook groups, and manufacturer and vendor web sites that it's easy to find answers to almost any question you'd have.

If you're thinking about trying something new, start learning now. With so much free information available, you'll know exactly what to do when it comes time to make your first project!

~ M ~

Summer

Hello Friends!

 

I've invited the Cheerful Cherub to guest-post today.

 

He might not say much, but it's perfect for the season.

 

Enjoy your weekend!

 

Stay tuned.

 

~ M ~

Water Slide Decals: Getting Better All the Time

Hello Friends!

 

What's new with everyone? I'm so glad Monday is here - I'm feeling particularly productive today. It's probably because I cleaned my studio this morning. It looked like a tornado had been through here over the weekend.

 

I found some cool jars - basically mason jars without any branding - at the dollar store and knew they'd make perfect soap dispensers. Not exactly original, but I dislike the plastic bottle of hand soap sitting on my counter as much as the next girl does.

 

I found the dispenser tops at Michael's about a week ago. I bought two (less than $5 each), one for each plastic dispenser at home. They came with a mason jar lid insert so you don't have to drill a hole through the insert yourself.

 

The jars came with gold-colored inserts and bands; the inserts for the dispensers were silver so I decided a little white spray paint was in order to take care of the unmatched pieces. After they were painted, I put them on the jars and I had 'mason' jar soap dispensers - done and done! Except...I decided I'd like the dispensers to be labeled. So I got busy, designed quick and simple labels and printed them on water slide decal paper. I applied the decals to the jars this morning and now...the soap dispensers are done.

 

I've been semi-obsessed with monograms lately, too. I was mixing different patterns and colors and thought, as long as I was making decals for the Dollar Store jars, I'd practice with color at the same time. I was really pleasantly surprised - I love how the decal worked on this plate. I don't love the design, or even the colors of the design, but I love how easy it was to apply and how well it works if you don't fuss with the decal too much!

 

 

Like with most things that I want to be good at, I find that the more I practice at crafting anything, the better I get, the more comfortable I get, the quicker I get, and the more satisfied I become. If you're interested in pursuing something creative, take your time, be easy on yourself, and don't quit. It's worth it.

 

And the files (you thought I forgot)! I only have files for Silhouette peeps but the cake plate bunting, the Freedom banner and the cupcake picks are here:

 

Freedom Banner 1

Freedom Banner 2

Cake Bunting

Cupcake Picks

Stay tuned

~ M ~

Fabulous Fifty

Hello friends!

This is officially my 50th post - an occasion to acknowledge in a bit of a special way. Since most occasions call for flowers, I thought I'd follow tradition. And rather than order flowers, I went ahead and made my own - to deck the halls and adorn the walls.

 

  Love these red and white flowers - they look really good in our yellow living room. To hang them, I just attached them to baker's twine with small clothespins - SO simple. These small clothespins can also be found in either red or white; they'd be just as cute as the natural wood ones used here.  Everything I make is honestly quite easy. In this case, it was a matter of cutting all the cardstock flower components on my Silhouette Cameo and then attaching it all together with hot glue.

 

The flowers on the wreath look almost tropical - not really my intention but I still love the bright colors. Pink and green is one of my very favorite color combinations.

 

The single flower stems are so fun. The first time I tried to make flowers like this, I used chenille stems (also known as pipe cleaners) but the flower heads were too heavy; the stems bent under the weight. I used a heavier gauge floral wire for these. It worked out much better because it can support the flower head but still be bent to allow flexibility when arranging a bouquet.

 

The thing about designing is that, once I finish something like this, I can see the almost endless possibilities for variations: silver and white flowers with bead centers would be amazing for a formal wedding. All white petals with yellow centers would work for a spring bridal shower or a country wedding. Change the shape, change the papers, change the centers - every variation creates a new and unique bloom that could be just right for you or your occasion.

 

 

Do you remember when I mentioned that I was going to a flea market over the weekend? I did and it was fun! Not terribly huge but really manageable, especially given the temperature on Saturday. I got exactly ONE useful picture from the trip - these wonderful KIST bottles - but got to talk to some wonderful vendors and came home with my wallet unscathed!

 

My favorite booth was Karla's Kottage. They had an amazing chest of drawers that I can't even begin to describe - I swear I took a few pictures of it but I must have been too busy talking to make sure I got a good one. Umm...big lesson learned...pay more attention when taking pictures! At least I got one of their business cards (love!).

So that wraps up my 50th post! Thank you to every single person who's visited Paisley Press - especially those who've been kind enough to comment. I hope you've enjoyed reading my tales as much as I've enjoyed sharing them. I hope, too, to do it for a very long time!

Stay tuned.

~ M ~

Glassy

Hello Friends!

 

Have I ever told you that I'm a little obsessed with glass storage for creative supplies?

 

 

I've had so many storage mediums over the years including plastic boxes, modular cubes, file cabinets, and dresser drawers. I've been back and forth between storing everything behind doors and keeping everything in the open, easily accessible.

 

The truth is, after years of trying to organize a creative space, I've found that if I can't see something, I'm likely unaware that it exists. That can lead to either un-started projects or unfinished ones because I end up looking for something I'm sure I've purchased before but now have no idea where it's gone to...and I don't want to buy more because I know I already have some.

Somewhere.

That's why the answer for me is glass. It's transparent so I can see what I've got on hand and it keeps my supplies nice and free from dust, lint, glitter and/or flying paper bits.

 

I've acquired lots of glass storage over time - in all kinds of shapes and sizes: pickle jars, peanut butter jars, jam jars, food storage jars, and jars that are made specifically for craft storage.

 

When I save glass containers from the recycle bin, I just strip them of their labels and glue residue and then throw them in the dishwasher. Once out of the dishwasher, they're filled with supplies and go up on the shelf for future use.

The only problem with recycling glass jars was the unattractive and mismatched lids...looking at them was making me a little creative crazy. So I painted them - at least a few of them. Just three coats of spray paint and those old, mismatched lids are history.

And I liked them so much that I decided all of the mismatched lids needed to be painted. Which is now on my to-do list.

4 down, 30ish more to go.
I refuse to count.

Stay tuned!

 

~ M ~